Locals Weekend at CRAFTED - Feat. Knotical Art Video

This past weekend was Locals Weekend at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles and it was a BLAST!!!

I picked up an I ♥ San Pedro cookie by Parchment Cookies in booth #A201 and a new piece for our wall by Pedro Native Megan Segal of Mome Rath Garden found at booth #A195.

We also had the pleasure to watch Tugboat Gus in action as he makes his nautical floor mats. I wanted to share a behind the scenes look at how these beautiful pieces get made!  We scooped up a video so you can see the fun too:



When Gus isn't working on the tugboats he is making items for both his Etsy shop and his booth #A212  at CRAFTED.  He is a super great guy and what he is doing over at Knotical Arts is a great example of why CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles is so remarkable.  With both practical and traditional knowledge he is a wonderful addition to the work found at CRAFTED.  I love that he is a Pedro guy and he definitely helps balance our predominately female tenants with his great attitude and overall awesome-ness!!! He has a larger than life personality and will tell you everything you need to know about knots if you stop by and say "hello".   

XOXO, KC

Food Finds: Paradise Preserves

We are happy to start the first section of our Food Finds with the talented ladies Karen and Bridget of Paradise Preserves. The mother daughter duo who make the yummiest jams and amazing pickled treats!!!

1. Make. Shop. Live.:What do you make?
Artisan jam, jellies, marmalades and more.


2.Is there a green or Eco component to your business? 
Yes. we are a company that strives to maintain the 'locavore' ideal in regards to food cultivation and consumption . Bridget and I work along side small family farmers and organic backyard growers to get the freshest produce for our signature flavors.

3. Where (If anywhere) do you sell your goods/wares in-person?
We are a proud vendor of Crafted at the Port. Booth A199. Also a featured local product at the Corner Store in San Pedro where we do tastings quarterly. We participate in the Sugar Plum Festivals at the Orange County Fair Grounds and the Buena park downtown mall. I do the Lions Club Flea Market in Malibu every September. This year for the first time we are vendors at the three Patchwork shows in Los Angeles and Light at the Lighthouse at Point Fermin Park in San Pedro on September 22.

4. What is your favorite thing to make? 
Jelly and chutney. Jelly because you can get such gorgeous colors and flavors from fruit and chutney because it is so fun. Bridget is working on chutney recipes right now. We will roll out our chutney product line in October. I usually keep them as Fall product.

5. If you make food, Do you focus on Organic or Locally Sourced ingredients? 
Without a doubt. I need to add this comment however, we use certified organic if and when we can. Unfortunatley for the consumer and the small family farmer, to be a 'certified oraganic' farm the farmer must let farmland lay fallow for a number of years and submit to soil testing by the USDA. Small farms are not able to afford that and thus steps in (or continues to dominate) our recently traditional food sorces, the corporate farm. Consequently, Bridget and I are committed to finding fruits an vegetables that may best be designated as 'home grown or non-industrailly grown'. One of the farms we work with uses beneficial insects, chickens and guinea hens as varmint control. has his farmhands keep rows clean by removing over ripe or bad fruit and keeping the area as clean as possible so as to keep from using chemical insectisides. He also has assess to his horse for manure and neighbors' horses as well. His strawberries are sooo good that the are mostly juice!

6. What are your favorite blogs or source of cool information? 
Oddly enough the USDA. most of the information on preserving food is as old as the hills and this United States Federal Organization has been stellar at keeping the basic cooking standars high and the information available to all who ask. I also am a fan of really old cookbooks. These women (no offence to the other sex, but males were rarely involved unless they were pre-teens and charged with keeping the water boiling for the jars).

7. What are your favorite materials to work with?
Spices, herbs and alcohols. Using one or more of these can completely change the flavor profile of a fruit.

One of the strawberry farms. 

8. What is your favorite or most used technique in your art? 
I use basic science on a daily basis. Ph levels are important in food preservation as is the condition of the produce being used. My VERY favorite thing is going to farms to pick or pick up produce, and share.

9. If you could work with anyone, or learn from anyone (living or dead) who would it be? 
Julia Childs, the first person to ever eat an artichoke or a pomegranate and Jesus Christ. Not necessarily in that order.

Fresh Strawberries - These will soon be tasty jelly!

10. Lastly, if you want to talk about anything that may have been missed - feel free to rant here :)
I can not stress this enough. We ALL need to know where our food comes from. We ALL need to know what it looks like before it get to our grocer/farmers market. Environmental Impact reports are the norm when it comes to building new roads, tunnels, housing deveolpments, parks etc. but not when a corporation buys millions of acres of our prime farmland to experiment with genetically modified seed. seed that is putting the lifeblood of our beautiful country, family farms, out of busines. Seed that grows food that we use to put in our childrens mouths. I am all for technical improvements, America has that in her soul, I just want to know when I am eating them.

We are so glad we can enjoy the fruits of these ladies labor! Hope you can get some for yourself and try them all out - you won't be disappointed.

XOXO, KC & Kevin

Rings, Rings, & Rings! Mistymoto Designs, Les Beaux Metaux, Fruition Jewelry

I am overjoyed with the artists I have met at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles and I wanted to share a peek at some of my recent purchases since I am running out of fingers.

Just around the corner from me is a booth featuring Mitsymoto Designs and Object Mfg. Co. I really love both of their work and I have become obsessed with Lauren of Mitsymoto Designs jewelry. Here are some awesome shots of what Lauren is up to:

She is super talented and has a really wonderful aesthetic. Their stall is mixed with vintage pieces, nostalgic figurines, skeletons, and more cool things than your brain can decipher from a glance. I could spend hours asking her about all her wonderful displays and the techniques she uses for her products. I am so uninformed about what all the great metalsmiths I am posting about today are up to technique wise...
One thing I do know is that I like them and that they are all badass. Oh, and that I sure enough can't do what they do.  I at least know that much for sure.

Want a virtual snap shot of the fun?

All kinds of things to explore!

I think she is rad, and this ring I purchased (on index finger) looks pretty great with my ring from Fruition (on ring finger).

Raychel's ring was the first one fueling my addiction.

Fruition is a curated booth and you can find a mix of her stellar jewelry as well as wall art, pottery, and plush art.

My latest love was found yesterday at Les Beaux Metaux.

Yeah, once I put it on it was over! I really love the texture on both the band and the stone and just had to have it.  It pairs so great with all my other rings too it was a must!

Her shop is just across from Lauren in Mitsymoto Designs. Here are some pictures of her market stall:

Kristen turned me on to this artists beads made out of bottle caps that she has below:

It is a total game changer knowing that these beads are a thing!!! They are kinda pricey to have made so I might not be turning all my bottle caps into beads anytime soon, but I am really inspired by the fabrication of these suckers.

Well, we are looking forward to a full week of fun ahead of us! Hope you had a stellar weekend and a super awesome week to come :)

XOXO, KC

Unique Find (and Review): Otter Wax

Last spring at UNIQUE LA I came across this product Otter Wax that is a safe and natural way to protect fabric and I picked up a few bars. They also have a great line of products to protect and care for leather products! All of their products are natural, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and proudly handmade in the USA. Best part I found out when checking them out online is that they do free shipping on all U.S. orders!!!

I was perusing Curated a shop by Hydrangea Hippo at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles and I was drawn to these clutches by Sahnda Marie. (Side Note: These bags are no longer available in her shop at CRAFTED :( Sorry it took me so long to post about my purchase.  You can find her work in her Etsy Shop Here)

The coloring and the pattern stopped me in my tracks. I fell in love instantly! However, I get so bummed when I fall in love with a tote or accessory where the fabric has white in the pattern. I just know in my heart of hearts I would ruin the purse immediately because I basically break everything I touch the first time I wear it or use it.  I thought this would be the perfect time to test out the Otter Wax to see if I can keep the purse looking nice for as long as possible.

Otter Wax is easy to apply, and amazingly pretty fool-proof way to protect fabric. It is smart to use the wax on a new item to keep it perfect for as long as possible but you can also clean and dry any item to preserve and protect.

The wax goes on the fabric really smoothly and easy to apply. Really all you do is rub the bar everywhere. Then using a blow dryer you can soften the wax and smooth the waterproofing seal in difficult areas. You can kinda see the fabric get smooth and shiny when sealing with a hair dryer.

It says to let the item sit for 24 hours after using the hair dryer for the product to fully set and protect the item which I did. I did however reapply a second layer after the 24 hours repeating the full process to make extra sure I keep the whites bright.

The review: I totally think it is a product worth checking out!

XOXO, KC

Make It Work: Outdoor Lanterns feat. Lindsay Sochar

I wanted to share some good news - We had this sweet article written about me and what we are doing here at Make. Shop. Live. that you can (and should) check out here. 


Today we have the first of our new series all about Make. Shop. Live. collaborating with artists to create a special product line that we will have in our market stall at CRAFTED. "Make It Work" will be the segment featuring details on our collaborations with everyone on the blog and we are so excited that the lovely, beautiful, and talented Lindsay Sochar is the first artist up for this segment. 


Lindsay doing a collaboration with us that is really exciting! I am creating upcycled lantern bases as shown here as the canvas for some of her amazing paintings. She is decorating them in all kinds if themes (Mostly birds and flowers) and we will be working on these in the coming weeks to create a limited edition line of lanterns. I really, really love Lindsay's technique and the way in which she depicted the subject matter in each piece is just lovely. They will be available first at the Port so make sure to check them out in person. I am also hoping to have a few in our Etsy Shop online as well. Stay tuned and here are some examples of the lanterns we have so far.






A little about Lindsay, you may recognized her from this LA Weekly article here. She is such a talented artist in all mediums but she is best known for her paintings. Here is her space at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles.

I picked this cute guy up for the house this weekend. What shall we name him??? 


Well, in other news, I was hoping to tell you all about the grunions today, but wouldn't you know I was unable to see them. The grunion run was way more popular than I had imagined and needed a bit more coordination to try and go as a mini-group after work.  By the time we got something to eat and headed over the parking anything within a reasonable distance was full. Figuring out walking across San Pedro to see the fish while needing to get back to Santa Monica to pick up Kevin for the Dark Night was a factor in having to miss the fun. Anyway, next time I know to be more prepared and make a night of it!

Thanks for everyone who stopped by and said hello at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles this weekend! It was so great seeing everyone :)


XOXO, KC

Patchwork Culver City Spring 2012 Wrap-Up

We had such a wonderful time last Sunday at Patchwork's Culver City Spring 2012 show. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the show and stopped by to say "hello"!

We were able to break away and snap some pictures of the fun.  Here are some of our friends that will be at CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles with us in our soon to open, permanent home :) 

Cake Bar 

Cake Bar is always so yummy I can't keep myself away! Grace is a real treat and I am not sure which one is sweeter, her or her boozy desserts.  I think I have almost tried the whole menu. Hopefully I will have them all tested by summers end :)

Fruition

My favorite take home is this FAB pearl ring from Fruition. It makes me smile every time I look down at it!

Kelso Doesn't Dance

Kelsey is so ridiculously talented that I could go on FOREVER on why she inspires me.  My main favorite in her unique display that is a must see - the card catalog table cover shown above. All of her handmade displays are as fabulous as her actual products. Can you say Ah-Mazing?!?

Pooka Queen

Amazing, Avant-garde hats. Each one is sewn by hand and has its own unique form. These fun accessories definitely are a statement piece!

Merrily Yours

Lucky us, our booth was right next to Merrily Yours since A) I am obsessed with Jen and her artwork & B) Merrily Yours will not be at CRAFTED where I can get my fill of her awesome-ness weekly. I purchased a Narwhal Herd Textile Art last summer at the Renegade Craft Fair and it has fueled my obsession for her artwork. Miss Gypsy scored one of Jen's amazing felt cat bows. I couldn't resist grabbing one up for my fluffy lady :) 

Jenny Smith Plush Artist of Teddy Bear Republic:

We met at CAFAM's Etsy Craft Nights a few months back and I was totally blown away when I saw all of her wonderful plush friends in person. The level of detail on each piece is awe inspiring. She has a real gift!

Bird and Feather

Modern and fun twist on all types of terrariums. I especially liked the illustrations to show the pricing for each different product. Super cute!!!

Sweet Perversion

With a motto "Goods made with bourbon and love" how can you not fall in love with their quaintly crass greetings, sweet stationery and printed goodness.

MandaLanda

I really, really, REALLY love these displays they made to shelve their products. Definitely something for us to keep in mind as display inspiration.

And last, but not least-
Hallo Jak!

This is the second show we had the pleasure of being next to the talented sisters of Hallo Jak and they never cease to amaze us. Their products are upcycled and eclectic just like we like it ;)

Overall it was a super great time! We can't wait until the next Patchwork Show!!!
XOXO, KC

Patchwork Find: J. Holden Designs

One of the nice finds at Patchwork Sunday was these handmade wooden beer holders at J. Holden Designs.

And the creator himself below...

Kevin has always needed an excuse to make and drink beer, so be on the lookout in the coming weeks for his tutorials and blog journals of his first batch!  Now, is it necessary to grow a sweet mustache as well?

Let us know what you think!  Thanks to J. Holden Designs for the great Handmade product!

XOXO, KC

Long Beach City Guide on Design*Sponge

Sharon wrote an Ah-Mazing Long Beach City Guide for Design*Sponge this week. Major Kudos to Sharon for such a thorough and encompassing list of all that the LBC has to offer. If you haven't had the pleasure of checking it out yet, hop over to her full post here.

Maybe it can inspire some fun weekend plans ;)

We hope you have a super weekend!!! Until next week...

What I Wore: Friday 5/25/12 * Unique Finds: Enchanted Leaves

Greetings from NYC!!! I guess I win the award for bad packer because I packed kinda crazy for my trip. I dunno why I decided my bag should be filled with fancy dresses and shoes, nothing really casual.  I had to suck it up and get this dress as I was passing through Target just to have something to wear.  It is paired with a pair of Blowfish shoes which I found on the same day that have a "Blue Belieze Blanket" pattern. This is my first experience with successfully mixing patterns and I am pretty jazzed for this new addition to my wardrobe - even if I did have to buy everything new. My staple accessory that has been getting some great compliments is my Hunger Games Mockingjay necklace I purchased at Unique LA from Enchanted Leaves one of my favorite stops for fun jewelry.

This necklace is so perfect for me!!! The length of the necklace is great and it is a really sweet size. I am so into Collins's series that when I spot the necklace out of the corner of my eye, I knew it had to be mine!

Enchanted Leaves will be at the Patchwork Shows in both Santa Ana and the show we'll be at in Culver City on 5/10. For more details and location information check out their website here. We are huge fans of E.L. and you can see our previous post on their awesome-ness here.

I hope you have a super weekend!!! We have a full holiday weekend of wedding fun in Brooklyn and next week we will be posting WEDDING details all week long :) Yay!!!!
XOXO, KC